Shoulder shields for clothes hangers



Jan. 21, 1958 c. E. MILLS ,8

SHOULDER SHIELDS FOR CLOTHES HANGERS Filed Jan. 6, 1956 IINVENTOR. Cumzpes E.Mu \.s

A TO2NE SHOULDER SHllElLDS FOR (HATE-ES HANGERS Charles E, Mills, Nome, Territory of Alaska Application January 6, 1956, Serial No. 557,706

2 Claims. (Cl. 2238) This invention relates generally to improved shoulder shields for clothes hangers.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide more practical and efiicient devices of this kind which serve to preserve shoulders of garments hung on hangers from sagging and becoming creased, the devices being simple in construction, easy to install, stable when installed, and being capable of being manufactured in attractive, rugged, and serviceable forms at relatively low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become apparent reside in the details of construction and operations more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional wire clothes hanger equipped with shoulder shields in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, indicated generally at is a conventional wire clothes hanger which includes a straight lower bar 12 merging at its ends into upwardly converging shoulder bars 14, secured together at their inward ends in a hook 155.

The illustrated shoulder shields are similar in construction, and each comprises a sheet material body 22 which is longitudinally elongated and is of convex-concave cross section, see Figure 4, and has a rounded outer end 23 and a straight inner end 25, the outer end 23 being wider than the inner end 25, and the side edges 27 tapering laterally and longitudinally from the outer end 23 to the inner end 25. The concave underside 26 of the body 22 is disposed in overlying relation on a shoulder bar 14.

Fixed on and depending from the underside 26 of the body 22, at an intermediate point thereof, and spaced from the side edges 27 is a pair or" transversely spaced apertured ears 28. A U-shaped clamping loop 36 has a closed narrow bight portion 42 and upwardly divergent legs 38 which have laterally outwardly extending pintles 32 on their upper ends, which are journaled through the ears 32 from the laterally inward sides of the ears.

Z,Zh,583 Patented Jan. 21, 1958 Suitably secured centrally and longitudinally on the underside 26 of the body 22 inwardly of the ears 28, is a pair of laterally spaced elongated ribs 44 which define therebetween a downwardly opening groove 48 for receiving a shoulder bar 14 of the hanger 10, so as to position the body 22 centrally thereon.

The shoulder shields 20 are installed on the hanger by sliding them inwardly over the shoulder bars 14 with the shoulder bars in the grooves 48, whereat the loops 36 are swung inwardly so as to embrace the lower hanger bar 12. The bight portions 42 of the loops 36 are sufi'iciently narrow to grip the sides of the bar 12 and the loops are short enough to distort the bar 12 upwardly and tension the same so as to maintain the loops in frictional engagement with the bar 12 and the bodies 22 in frictional engagement with the shoulder bars 14.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shoulder shield applicable to a declining shoulder bar of a clothes hanger having a straight lower bar, an elongated body having outer and inner ends and an underside, transversely spaced ears fixed on and depending from said underside, said body being arranged to be engaged on a shoulder bar with the shoulder bar between said ears, and a U-shaped loop having a narrow bight portion for frictionally embracing a lower bar and upwardly divergent legs having upper ends positioned at the laterally inward sides of said ears, and laterally outwardly extending pintles on the upper ends of said legs journaled through said ears.

2. In a shoulder shield applicable to a declining shoulder bar of a clothes hanger having a straight lower bar, an elongated body having outer and inner ends and an underside, transversely spaced ears fixed on and depending from said underside, said body being arranged to be engaged on a shoulder bar with the shoulder bar between said ears, and a U-shaped loop having a narrow bight portion for frictionally embracing a lower bar and upwardly divergent legs having upper ends positioned at the laterally inward sides of said ears, and laterally outwardly extending pintles on the upper ends of said legs journaled through said ears, said ears being located at a point intermediate the ends of said body, and a longitudinally grooved portion located centrally on the underside of the body between the ears and the inner end of the body for receiving a shoulder bar of a clothes hanger.

References tilted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,597,509 Mallory May 20, 1952 2,601,442 Mallory lune 24, 1952 2,709,026 MaCKenZie May 24 1955 

